Promise Renewed Read Free Page B

I’ll send someone in to take your statement.”
    Standard procedure. So far.
    Darin told his captain all he knew, which wasn’t much. Even to his ears, his story sounded lame. “I wish I could tell you more. When he called, Hunter didn’t tell me I would find a warehouse full of drugs. He didn’t tell me anything except to get my ass over there. Which I did.”
    “You’re sure there were drugs on the premises?”
    “Millions of dollars worth from the looks of what was in the truck and in the warehouse.”
    “How did they get out of there so fast?”
    “There were at least three guys loading the truck. A big box truck, like the kind people rent for moving themselves. From what I saw the warehouse was almost empty. After I heard the shots, activity increased. They could have finished in a few minutes. If the cops had gotten there sooner, they would have caught them.” If Darin had gotten there a few minutes earlier himself, he could have protected his partner’s back. A wave of guilt washed over him. He had a feeling he’d live with the guilt a very long time.
    The captain ran a hand through his thinning hair. “If drugs were there, like you say they were, where do you think they are now? Did you hear them say anything? Who were these guys?”
    “Good questions.” Darin looked down at his hands, then back up to the captain. He didn’t like the man, but respected his authority. “I think we should take a look at everyone we know in Houston who’s in the business. We know two who have the funds to handle a deal of this size.” The captain shot him a look he couldn’t mistake. Every one of the big boys had evaded the takedowns the squad had executed for the past year. During which time there had been a lot of drugs and a lot of money involved, but HPD hadn’t been able to get one scrap of evidence to confirm their suspicions. They knew who the leaders of the two biggest cartels in the area were. Little good it did them without evidence. “I saw what I saw, Captain. But I didn’t hear a conversation, just a buzz of voices, and I can’t identify a single person there.”
    “Then we have a dilemma. Your partner is dead and you were there. You claim to have seen a mountain of drugs we didn’t find. Did you happen to get a license number of the truck?”
    Darin shook his head. “I was too worried about Hunter to even think of it. But the drugs were there and were carted off in a truck that was similar to a U-Haul. There were no signs on it. I heard shots. I couldn’t go in guns blazing. I didn’t know where Hunter was or what he was up to. Hell, I didn’t even know for sure he was in there.” Darin stared at the captain. “Were there traces of the drugs?”
    “Yes, but who knows what point in time they came to be there.”
    Darin’s headache intensified. “Are you serious? You don’t believe me? Why would I lie? You’re making a monumental problem even worse if you think I had anything to do with this.” He glared at his captain, not caring whether he was written up for subordination or not. “My partner is dead. I wanted to be there for him and wasn’t. Do you know how bad I feel about that? You’re not making this any easier.” He stood, turned on his heel, and headed for the door. “I need to visit Hunter’s family and talk to Haley.”
    The captain stopped him with a sharp, “This doesn’t look good for you, Callahan. None of it.”
    Darin sighed heavily, but didn’t turn around. “It’s the way it is, Captain,” he said, his voice as tired as he felt.
    A knock on the door stopped the conversation.
    “Enter,” the captain barked.
    Chief of Police Guy Hamilton stepped into the room. Darin’s nerves, already stretched to the limit, twisted into knots. Hamilton was a good cop, but everyone feared him. At six-four and over two hundred pounds, biceps like a body-builder, plus an army haircut, he was formidable.
    The captain looked pale in comparison. He hauled his